Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-19
MISSING MR.. wRENN.
HIS WIPE SAYS SHE THINKS HE HAS
BEEN MURDERED.
Some New Particulars About the Young
Carpenter Who DISAPPEARED
Monday.

Monday was noted IN this paper yeSter-
day morning.
"I believe he has been murdered,
remarked his wife TO O Dispatch re-
porter yesterday, as the two sat in her
little parlor at No. 10 China street.
II don't believe he would go away and
leave me without telling me where he
was going or when he was coming back,
HAPPY AT HOME.
Had you and he any quarrel before
he left ?"
1--WE never quarrelled, and it has been
months since even harsh word passed
between MS. When he went away Mon
day after breakfast he left just as he
usually does when he goes TO his shop.
/ asked him. as often do, il he was
coming 10 dinner. He said he didn't
know. and asked me why. II ! wanted
10 90 out 10 spend the day, just to q
and not wait for him that if he cam
home aud found Inc gone he would 6
in and get a snack. Well, he didn ;
come home, and sat up all night waif-
ing. and watching and listening, but l
have never seen him since that morn
ing never had so much trouble IN
my life. "
GOOD MAN.
''Was he a man OF good habits, or
did he get drunk and stay out at night,
or any other such thing ?"
"I never knew better man i'll my
life" replied the wife with enthusiasm.
"He didn't drink and had no other
bad habits; and as for staying at home,
why, he was more of home body than
most men are.
"Has he any relatives or friends out
side of Richmond that he would likely
have gone to visit?
"He has married sister in Indiana,
but he and she didn't correspond, and
it's not likely he went to see her. !
feel sure he didn't go there ; and ]
don't knoYnof any other places to
which it is aMbbable he has gone.
PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
"What is his personal appearance ?"
"He has gray eyes, dark hair, a
slight monstache, no beard, weighs one
hundred and thirty five pounds, and is
about five feet Six inches in height.
| The morning he went away he had on
a black suit made of some corded yarn
goods. light overcoat, and black
| Derby" -wm,
"Bid he take any of his personal
effects with him?"
Nothing but his tOoI-chest is miss
ing. and" continued Mrs Wrenn as
she warmed up to the subject, that
brings me to the main reason | believe
he is dead, which is this: Nick Helfert,
who works in Charles shop, told me
that my husband had taken his tool
chest away with him. i asked hlm how
he knew He said the colored girl who
stavs in the little store next to the shop
on First street told him that the chest
had been taken away either Saturday
or Monday, she didntremember which
After he told me that / resolved to see
this girl myself.
THE TooL-CHEsT.
$50 Wednesday morning, SAID Mrs.
Wrenn, 81 went down there, and after
cot i'm The shop-I didn't want TO SO,
anything to put her on her guard,
asked her if she knew the man WIZ
kept the shop next door, and she SAT-
she knew him when she saw him.
when did you see him last ?, !
asked. L dunno, replied she. Did
YOU see him or anybody get tool-cheSl
out the shop next door last Monday OF
Saturday p The girl said she had not
seen him or anybody else go in there
and get tool-chest. | saw very plainly
that story was ont somewhere, so
asked her again. told her not to be
afraid 70 tell the truth, that | was his
wife and wouldn't hurt her for any
thing: but that l had not seen my hus
band since last Monday, and anything
she could tell me about him would be 6
comfort. The girl still maintained thai
She knew nothing of the removal the
tool-cbest. | then charged her will
telling Nick Helfert what he had tolc
me. This she also denied positively.
remarked before going out that woule
like to 90 into the shop, but that
didn't have key-there being only two
Charlie having one and Nick the other
KEY.
"The girl said she had akeyof apad
lock he had fixed for her sometime ag'
and that might do. l triedit, said Mrs
Wrenp. "and ii fHed the tOek on tn
s6op-door cractiy. Now behev
Charlie has been foully dealt with here
| can't help thinking so, and that HI
shop-key was taken out of his pocket
his shop opened, and his tool-chest sen
away to lead to the impression that h
went away and took his chest with him.
"But isn't it likely he went ava,
and took lis tools with him to get wor
elsewhere ?" suggestively asked the re
porter. , .
why should he? He seemed t
have plenty of work here, and II he ha
gone away why don't he write to m
and tell me where he is and relieve IN
terrible anxiety feel for his safety !!
MYsTIFHD.
No answer being forthcoming, Mr.
Wrcnn continued "He has been ava
several times since we have been ma
r;ed. but never before like this. ID
ALWAYS used to tell me where he WI
going and when he was coming bacl
The more | think about the matter u
more mystifed l become. l can't D'
I ieye he is alive, and yet l don't thin
he had an enemy on earth, white
b colored."
"Have you any children
: "No, none
Quite Another story.
Later in the day Dispatch repr
, sentative called on Mr.. Nicholas J. He
fert referred to above) at his res
denee 2OO1 east Main street. Mr.. he
fert appeared to be a man OF inteil II
cepce. and readily answered al I'll
questions asked about Wrenn.
: From what he said it seems tn
while he was at work on some house
. Haryietown on Saturday Wrenn came
o him and asked him for his (Wrenn,,
saw. hammer, and square, saying
2 had some work to do in the sho)
/. They were given him and he left. Nj
Heliert says that some days afterwar'
tbe negro girl told him Wrenn hs
% taken his tool-chest away from ii
fs,..,,,o,,.lo che denied Ga